World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1

by Blizzard Entertainment

  There was, however, one location Azshara and her forces avoided: Mount Hyjal. The spirits and demigods who roamed the sylvan forests unsettled the queen. She knew in her bones that Hyjal was somehow beyond even her influence. It was a place steeped in ancient magic, a wild, untamable, and unchangeable land that stood in stark contrast to her vision of a new Kalimdor. Publicly, Azshara prohibited expansion into Hyjal out of respect for the night elves’ ancient kinship with the forests. In truth, she despised the mountain and the harmony it represented.

  Azshara’s views on Hyjal were well known to Cenarius. With growing unease, he had watched the night elf empire expand. Year by year, he became increasingly frustrated with the hubris and thoughtless actions of the sorcerous Highborne. The majority of night elf society continued honoring the old ways of revering the wilds. The fact that these folk still lived in harmony with the land warmed Cenarius’s heart, but he knew that they had no influence over Azshara and her arrogant followers.

  As time passed, the night elves began eschewing diplomacy and largely ignored Azeroth’s other cultures. Azshara’s dogmatic beliefs regarding racial purity seeped into the night elves’ psyche, creating an atmosphere rife with xenophobia.

  MAP OF AZEROTH AT THE HEIGHT OF THE NIGHT ELF EMPIRE

  Only the openly hostile troll nations drew the full attention of the elves. Small, sporadic battles ignited between the two sides. On every occasion, the trolls buckled before the devastating magics wielded by the night elves. Azshara, however, was not interested in conquest. In her eyes, the trolls were a minor nuisance, their battle lust a symptom of primitive and unenlightened minds. Ultimately, the queen struck an accord with the Zandalar tribe, which held immense influence over all other trolls. In exchange for ending troll incursions into night elf territory, the Zandalari would be allowed—by Azshara’s grace—to keep the sacred Zandalar Mountains south of the Well of Eternity.

  The trolls begrudgingly agreed, fully aware that they stood no chance against their enemies’ arcane powers. This shameful acquiescence fostered the trolls’ deep resentment toward night elves, a bitter hatred that would carry on for generations to come.

  With the trolls no longer a threat, Azshara continued expanding her dominion. Yet even as she did so, she spent more time in the confines of her palace, obsessing over the Well of Eternity and the arcane secrets held within it. She believed that the night elves had thus far only tapped a small portion of the fount’s power. She pushed the Highborne to plumb the Well of Eternity’s depths, to expand their knowledge and reach for new heights of cultural and technological advancement.

  Their reckless experiments sent torrents of magic crashing through the Twisting Nether. Like moths to the flame, the Nether’s demonic inhabitants were drawn toward the irresistible source of power.

  It was only a matter of time before Sargeras and the Burning Legion also took notice.

  At long last, Sargeras had discovered the location of Azeroth. The fabled world-soul. Without delay, he gathered all of his rage, all of his terrible demonic legions, and turned his baleful gaze upon the distant world. All that remained was for Sargeras to find a way to reach Azeroth.

  As the Highborne continued experimenting on the Well of Eternity, a young night elf named Malfurion Stormrage honed his ties to nature. Under the tutelage of the wise Cenarius, he had become the first mortal druid on Azeroth. Malfurion excelled in his studies, and he often spent his days wandering the forests of Hyjal.

  Cenarius was greatly pleased by Malfurion’s progress. He had sensed something special in his student from the very first time the night elf’s spirit explored the Emerald Dream. Cenarius hoped that Malfurion would spread druidism among the night elves and help them return to their harmonious roots.

  Yet this change would not come to Azshara and her followers. Unbeknownst to greater night elf society, the Highborne had begun communing with Sargeras. The fallen titan hoped to use the sorcerers and their great magic to expedite the Legion’s journey to Azeroth. Without a suitable gateway, he knew that traveling to the world would take ages.

  Much as he had done with the eredar on Argus, Sargeras reached out to the Highborne and capitalized on their hubris. Lord Xavius was the first of the Highborne to hear Sargeras’s call. The power-hungry Xavius quickly brought Sargeras to Azshara’s attention. The fallen titan promised to grant the night elf queen and her servitors unfathomable power, thereby allowing them to remake Kalimdor into a paradise. Sargeras requested only that Azshara and her followers summon his agents into the world of Azeroth so that they could give the Highborne this power.

  CENARIUS AND MANNOROTH DURING THE WAR OF THE ANCIENTS

  Enthralled by Sargeras’s might, Azshara and her Highborne used the Well of Eternity’s energies to bring the Legion’s minions into Azeroth. Waves of demonic warriors flooded out from the queen’s palace, murdering every night elf in their path save for their Highborne allies.

  Led by the likes of Mannoroth the Destructor, Hakkar the Houndmaster, and Archimonde the Defiler, the Legion stormed across the night elf empire in a tide of death and destruction. Blazing infernals tore through the skies, shattering night elf cities, while thousands of bloodthirsty doomguard and ravenous felhounds reduced Kalimdor’s tranquil woodlands to smoldering green embers.

  War, the likes of which no mortal empire had ever witnessed, had come to Azeroth.

  A night elf resistance force, led by a noble named Lord Kur’talos Ravencrest, formed to stand against the Legion’s furious onslaught. Among these brave defenders were Malfurion, his sorcerous twin, Illidan, and the beautiful priestess whom both brothers loved dearly, Tyrande Whisperwind. Ultimately, these three unlikely heroes would change the fate of Kalimdor forever.

  Though Ravencrest’s forces initially suffered many defeats against the demons, the night elves did make gains. Malfurion himself delivered one of the most decisive early blows against the Legion and its Highborne allies. From the depths of the Emerald Dream, he unleashed his druidic magics upon Azshara’s trusted servant Xavius, striking him down. Not only did this act destroy one of the Highborne’s most powerful sorcerers, but it also proved the incredible potential of druidic magic to Malfurion’s allies.

  Illidan also became invaluable to the resistance. During one engagement, his courage and mastery of arcane magic allowed him to save Ravencrest’s life. For this selfless act, Illidan was appointed the commander’s personal sorcerer. He would later go on to lead the host of sorcerers that fought for the night elf resistance.

  For her part, the priestess Tyrande emerged as one of the greatest members of the Sisterhood of Elune. Through her unbreakable faith in the benevolent Elune, she saved countless innocents from the marauding Legion. In time, Tyrande would become the high priestess of Elune, the revered leader of her sacred Sisterhood.

  Yet despite the bravery with which the resistance fought, more and more demons spilled into Azeroth through the Highborne’s portals. The Legion also bolstered its numbers with a new breed of demon, born from denizens of Azeroth itself.

  The first of these abominations was Xavius. Sargeras had warped the defeated Highborne’s body into a twisted demonic visage of jagged horns and cloven hooves. This new form became known as a satyr, and it would mark Xavius as an eternal servant of the Legion. At Sargeras’s bidding, he set out to curse many of his fellow Highborne, transforming them into satyrs as well.

  As the Legion’s numbers swelled and the war progressed, Malfurion realized that the night elves could not prevail alone. He convinced Tyrande and Illidan to accompany him to the tranquil Moonglade near Mount Hyjal, where they beseeched Cenarius for aid. The great demigod agreed to rally the mighty Wild Gods against the Legion, but they were unpredictable beings, unaccustomed to fighting as one.

  Spurring them to action would take time … a luxury the night elves did not have.

  While Cenarius gathered the Wild Gods, Malfurion called on the mighty Dragon Aspects to defend Azeroth. Led by Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, the
dragons convened at their ancient meeting ground of Wyrmrest Temple to discuss how best to hold back the Legion’s invasion.

  It was during one of these gatherings that Neltharion the Earth-Warder proposed a solution. He convinced his fellow Aspects to sacrifice a portion of their power and infuse it into the Dragon Soul, a singular artifact of his own design. The weapon, he claimed, would focus their powers and scour the Legion from the face of Azeroth.

  Unbeknownst to the other Aspects, Neltharion had fallen prey to the whispers of the Old Gods. Over the ages, the vile entities’ influence had tainted the bedrock surrounding their underground prisons. Neltharion’s innate ties to the earth made him uniquely susceptible to this evil. Darkness had gradually pervaded the Aspect’s once-great heart. His descent into torment and madness led him to create the Dragon Soul, although it would later be called by another, more fitting, name: the Demon Soul.

  Amid a furious battle between the Legion and the night elf resistance, the five dragonflights made their final assault against the Legion. Working in unison with his comrades, Neltharion unleashed the full might of the empowered Dragon Soul and utterly decimated the Legion. Yet just as hope began to swell among the defenders, Neltharion turned the weapon against his own allies, night elf and dragon alike.

  Neltharion’s brutal attack murdered nearly all of the blue dragonflight. Though the other dragons attempted to stop him, they were forced to flee. The night elves were also horrified and awestruck by the sudden betrayal. Eventually they, too, retreated from the battlefield to escape Neltharion’s wrath.

  As the Dragon Soul’s energies flooded through him, Neltharion’s body began tearing apart. A raw power like the seething heart of a volcano engulfed his soul. Smoldering fissures wrenched open across Neltharion’s scaly hide. From these wounds, geysers of white-hot fire and magma burst forth. With a howl of rage, Neltharion finally withdrew from the engagement and disappeared into the skies.

  Though Neltharion’s assault was short lived, it had changed the world forever. Single-handedly, he had shattered the unity and power of the great dragonflights. They would never be the same again. Malygos, leader of the blue dragonflight, would suffer far more than any other Aspect. On seeing his followers die, he was driven mad with a grief that would linger for thousands and thousands of years.

  Henceforth, Neltharion would be known as Deathwing. His treachery would curse his own black dragonflight to a life of fear and seclusion. In the coming ages, they would find themselves hunted to the brink of extinction by the other flights due to Deathwing’s unforgivable betrayal.

  Deathwing’s betrayal struck a terrible blow to the night elves’ morale. And worse, Illidan had mysteriously vanished from their ranks. Many night elves feared for his life, but none of them could have imagined that the talented sorcerer had actually abandoned the resistance.

  Illidan’s decision to strike out on his own stemmed from his relationship with Malfurion. The sorcerer had always lived in his brother’s shadow. Although Illidan had also studied under Cenarius, he had lacked the patience to master druidism and instead had pursued arcane magic. Throughout the war, Illidan was driven by a fervent determination to rise above his brother and become a hero for his people.

  Yet time and again, Malfurion’s deeds eclipsed Illidan’s own. This was no more apparent—and no more painful—than in the sorcerer’s desire to win the heart of Tyrande Whisperwind. When Illidan finally summoned the courage to profess his love for her, the priestess rejected him. Illidan took this as a sign that Tyrande intended to choose Malfurion as her mate.

  In the wake of this bitter rejection, dark thoughts plagued Illidan. Unbeknownst to the sorcerer, the satyr Xavius was subtly twisting his mind and fanning the flames of his despair.

  Illidan’s mounting discontent ultimately led him to break from the night elf resistance. He set out to join the Legion, hoping to gain power unimaginable to any night elf. Once he did so, Illidan believed he would finally transcend Malfurion and prove to the world that he was capable of greatness.

  Against all odds, Illidan secured an audience with Sargeras himself. His plan, to steal the potent Dragon Soul, intrigued the fallen titan. So pleased was Sargeras that he granted Illidan exceptional power. He scarred the night elf’s body with fel tattoos and burned out his eyes, setting the hollows alight with otherworldly fire. Although excruciatingly painful, this final act gave Illidan the ability to see myriad forms of magic.

  The newly empowered Illidan immediately set out to steal the Dragon Soul. During the course of this perilous quest, the wayward night elf would stumble across Deathwing and witness the Aspect’s ravaged and tormented form. To hold his broken body together, Deathwing had resorted to bolting adamantium plates to his spine.

  THE DEFEAT OF XAVIUS

  Malfurion finally vanquished Xavius during one of the later engagements of the war. With the aid of a brave young night elf named Shandris Feathermoon, Malfurion trapped the satyr lord and warped his body and spirit into a gnarled oak tree. Xavius’s legacy, however, would persist on Azeroth. To this day, satyrs still roam the world, polluting nature with their foul magics.

  Ultimately, Illidan secured the Dragon Soul and delivered the artifact to the waiting Highborne. They immediately used the weapon for the next phase of their plans. The Dragon Soul would prove vital to creating a massive gateway within the heart of the Well of Eternity.

  A gateway through which Sargeras himself could enter the world of Azeroth.

  Illidan would later claim that his actions were for a noble cause, that he had joined the Legion to learn more about the demons and find a means to destroy them. Nonetheless, his foolhardy quest for greatness would haunt him like a specter, tarnishing his reputation forever after.

  As battles raged across central Kalimdor, one group of Azshara’s servants grew increasingly concerned for their own future. This small sect of Highborne sorcerers acted as an extension of the queen’s will. From their headquarters in Suramar, they engaged in covert activities aimed at securing Azshara’s rule and strengthening the empire.

  Of the many duties that these Highborne performed, they excelled at hunting down and acquiring artifacts of great power. Most of these relics were stored in the Vault of Antiquities, a vast repository located in Suramar. Among the greatest archaeological discoveries made by this group of Highborne were the long-lost Pillars of Creation, an extraordinary set of relics that the ancient keepers had used to shape and order Azeroth in ages past.

  Though Suramar’s elite Highborne had pledged their undying loyalty to Azshara, their views on the queen began to shift as the war dragged on. The group’s leader, Grand Magistrix Elisande, feared that the Legion did not have the Highborne’s best interests in mind. The monstrous demons had already destroyed much of the night elves’ glorious empire and poisoned the surrounding land with their fel magics.

  Elisande’s distrust of the Legion only deepened when she discovered that demons were planning to transform Suramar into a new staging ground for the war. Legion agents had begun forming a gateway to the Twisting Nether within the city’s most prominent structure, the Temple of Elune. Once open, this portal would allow the Legion’s reinforcements to storm into Azeroth and crush the night elf resistance on a second front.

  Yet Elisande thought that such a portal would likely destroy Suramar and everyone who dwelled within. Thus the grand magistrix and her followers formed a plan to sabotage the Legion’s efforts. They severed their ties with the other Highborne and moved to seal the demons’ new portal. To do so, Elisande and her allies sought out the potent artifacts they had gathered over the years. In particular, they knew that the Pillars of Creation possessed the raw power that they would need to neutralize the Legion’s portal.

  With these artifacts in hand, Elisande and her Highborne led an assault against the demons in Suramar. Just as the Legion’s new portal began roaring to life, the sorcerers channeled their magic through the Pillars of Creation. They wove a great spell that closed the h
owling gateway and locked it with a set of unbreakable seals.

  Though they had thwarted the attempt to create a new portal, the rebellious Highborne had no plans to join the night elf resistance and continue fighting the Legion. Fearing calamity, Elisande and her followers worked to fortify their holdings in Suramar. They harnessed the Eye of Aman’Thul, one of the Pillars of Creation, to create an immense fount of arcane magic. Known as the Nightwell, this source of power would nourish the sorcerers and protect them from future threats. In the millennia to come, the fount would also change Elisande and her allies, transforming them into a new race called the nightborne.

  Despite a series of crushing defeats, hope yet lingered among the night elf resistance. A brave new leader, Jarod Shadowsong, had assumed the mantle of command. Unlike his predecessors, he was not born of noble blood. A fierce combatant and a brilliant strategist, Jarod went to great lengths to strengthen the resistance. He stripped away the night elves’ inherent xenophobia and invited many of Azeroth’s other races—such as the earthen, tauren, and mighty furbolgs—into the night elf army.

  The resistance also found allies among their Highborne enemies. A group of the sorcerers, led by Dath’Remar Sunstrider, had come to realize that their allegiance to demons would bring ruin to Azeroth. These Highborne abandoned Azshara and pledged their lives to the resistance.

  Even the Wild Gods finally emerged from the forests at Cenarius’s goading, prepared to fight tooth and claw for the resistance. The forests trembled as these gargantuan beings marched down from the slopes of Hyjal. Each of the Wild Gods possessed strength and power unlike anything the demons had yet faced. Some, such as the white wolf Goldrinn, dwarfed even the largest demons in size.